One Shot Collection
by stingrae90
Summary: This is just what the title says. It's a collection of one-shots, specifically about Kenshin during his training with Hiko. Summaries will be included at the start of each one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This takes place almost immediately after Kenshin starts training under Hiko. Hiko's finding out just how traumatized Kenshin really was by the events of his early childhood.

By the way, for those readers following my story Fortunate Relapse, that's next on the list of updates. I needed to get back into Hiko's mindset, now that I've gotten back into the flow of writing. So that's where this came from. Please tell me what you guys think.

* * *

Hush, Little One

* * *

Hiko sighed as he settled by the fire-pit, not bothering himself to light another fire. He was exhausted. Perhaps he had not quite thought through his decision to train the little waif he had rescued from the bandits. Granted, the boy had potential, and not just with swords. He was determined, and applied himself to whatever Hiko set him to do without question.

'Though that's probably a remnant of having been a slave,' he mused. Hiko would consider it a good day when he broke Kenshin of the habit of agreeing to everything he was told to do. It would be much more satisfying to train the boy if he questioned what he was told every once in a while. Just so long as he never thought he knew more than Hiko, of course.

But back to his previous line of thought. It took quite a bit of work, to take care of a child.

Especially such a severely traumatized child as Kenshin was. The boy had woken with terrifying nightmares nearly every night since Hiko had first taken him in. It had not surprised him that Kenshin had nightmares; what surprised him was the intensity of the nightmares.

That first night, Kenshin had not had a nightmare by virtue of being too exhausted from digging all those graves. And the next night, all that had occurred was a few distressed mumbles and whimpers, but nothing that disturbed either of the occupants of the cabin Hiko had commandeered for their use.

The third night, however, Kenshin had woken screaming, and Hiko had nearly decapitated one of the chairs he had crafted in his instinctive reaction to the cry of terror. He could only be grateful that Kenshin had been curled safely out of the way on his futon in the corner of the cabin. Once he had woken the terrified child, he had found himself with an armful of shaking eight-year-old.

He hadn't quite known what to do, and his hesitance had caused Kenshin to swipe his tears away and back up, apologizing in a timid voice for disturbing his shishou. Hiko had had to force his voice to be gentle and calm, when all he had felt was anger at the circumstances and people that had forced such a bright child to such fear and timidity. He'd calmed Kenshin down enough for him to sleep once again, and hopefully convinced him that it was okay for him to be frightened of his dreams, just so long as he knew they hadn't been real.

"_Look at me, Kenshin," Hiko commanded, pushing the little boy away from him for a moment, and urging his head up with a hand under his chin. Wide, fearful violet eyes blinked up at him. "You have nothing to apologize for. You've been through things that would make grown men have nightmares, let alone an eight-year-old boy." The violet eyes turned away, not convinced. "I am not," Hiko pressed, forcing Kenshin's eyes back to his own, "in the least bit angry with you, Kenshin, for wanting comfort after such a dream." He consciously softened his expression, pulling on vague memories of his own childhood for guidance. "It's normal to want reassurance of safety. You're frightened and you're in a new environment."_

_A mumble, as violet eyes shied away from his once again. Hiko sighed, and asked gently._

"_What was that, Kenshin?" _

"_N-nothing, Shishou."_

"_Come on now, deshi, tell me." A gulp that Hiko could feel in the jerking of Kenshin's small body, and then,_

"_I said, I don't think you've ever been scared of anything in your life, Shishou." Hiko sat and pondered the statement and the situation for a few moments, then made a swift decision, hoping he wouldn't regret it later._

"_I'll tell you a secret, Kenshin, if you promise not to tell anyone else. How about it?" Kenshin blinked up at him and solemnly promised, his innate curiosity peeking through. Hiko smirked internally, 'Ah, the curiosity of a child, such a useful tool…' Hiko glanced to the right and then to the left, as if making sure no one but Kenshin would overhear his statement. He felt his deshi's ki begin to lose some of the terror that had gripped him, and sensed curiosity taking over._

_Hiko turned his glance downward, his expression carefully serious, and whispered. "When I was your age, I had nightmares too, and I was always frightened when I woke up."_

"_No!" The terror was almost completely gone now, as Kenshin tried to imagine his shishou having a nightmare. And picture his shishou as a child. It was just as hard as it looked._

"_Yes." Hiko nodded solemnly. He grinned broadly to himself, glad to have diverted Kenshin so well. He kept his voice soft and serious sounding, determined to get Kenshin thinking about something besides the horrible dreams he had almost nightly. "I had to have…" better not to mention the word father, that would probably provoke another crying session, "someone hold me until the fear went away, as well."_

_Kenshin's ki was completely devoid of fear now. He was staring wide-eyed at his imposing shishou, incredulity and a bit of relief radiating from his ki. Hiko narrowed his eyes and growled in a playful manner at the young boy._

"_But if you tell anyone else about that, I'm going to hang you upside down from the tallest tree I can find. Understood?" Kenshin giggled a bit, and managed a credible, "Yes, shishou, I understand."_

"_Good, now, go to sleep, deshi. You're going to need all the rest you can get." Hiko said, settling himself more comfortably against the wall, and allowing Kenshin to stay where he was, while pretending he hadn't noticed Kenshin had not gone back to his own futon. As the boy fell asleep, Hiko kept him encircled in his arms, safe from any danger that would dare to threaten him._

That had been roughly three weeks ago. Hiko glanced back at the cabin. Kenshin's nightmares hadn't stopped just because he no longer feared Hiko's reaction to a clinging, trembling eight-year-old. But they had become fewer and fewer as the weeks went on. Though they didn't seem to be diminishing in intensity much at all. Though perhaps, just having Kenshin recover from his nightmares a little more quickly each time was an indication that he was slowly recovering from his trauma.

'He didn't even have a nightmare the past two nights. Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll go for a third…' Hiko mused hopefully. He still needed to make-up for all the sleep he had been losing for the past few weeks. His dream of a quiet night, however, was shattered when Kenshin's scream rang through the night air once again.

"DON'T, PLEASE DON'T…." Kenshin's voice trailed off into incoherent sobs as Hiko skidded to a halt by the boy's futon, his cloak snapping from the sudden change from stillness to motion to stillness again. Hiko grabbed the young boy by the shoulders and shook him.

"Kenshin, wake up! It's just another nightmare."

'Just, hah! Who are you kidding, Seijurou?' He mocked himself.

"Wake up, deshi! Are you listening to me?"

With a gasp, Kenshin's eyes flew open, tears shining brightly in them. He gave a heaving sob and launched himself into Hiko's arms, hands clutching spasmodically at his shishou's gi. Hiko gathered the small boy into his arms and sat back on his heels, rocking the boy back and forth.

"Shh…you're safe, Kenshin. No one would dare try to harm you while I'm here. Just calm down….Shh…." Kenshin's sobs continued for several minutes unabated, and the small hands never lost their grip on his gi, and the whole time Hiko kept up his constant stream of reassurances.

'Shishou would be laughing at me so hard right now,' he grumbled to himself. 'He always said that once I had an apprentice of my own, I'd find myself doing things I'd never do otherwise. I just didn't believe him.' Hiko could see the man that had been his shishou in his mind's eye, grinning triumphantly at his student and waggling a finger at him, seeming to say, "I told you, baka, didn't I? Should have listened to your shishou, now shouldn't you have?"

'Shut up, shishou,' he groused in his mind. He glanced down at the red mop of hair buried in his sleeping yukata and sighed imperceptibly. Yes, this definitely qualified as something he never thought he'd be doing. Ever.

But the sobs seemed to have stopped. Kenshin had started trying to regulate his breathing, with a small amount of success. His breath still hitched more often than not, but he was calming down. Hiko let him calm himself before holding the boy far enough away that he could see Kenshin's face.

"Feel better, deshi?" Kenshin's little face scrunched up in a grimace. Hiko chuckled. "Better than you did a few moments ago?"

"Hai, shishou. A little better."

"Good." They sat quietly for a few more moments, before Kenshin shifted, and his soft voice ventured a question.

"Shishou?"

"Yes, Kenshin?"

"Why can't I stop having nightmares?" Hiko sighed.

"You're a child, Kenshin, for all you've been through. Being sold and then having the girls that had become family to you killed while you could do nothing left a strong impression. You're never going to forget those things, but the dreams will fade with time."

"It's been over three weeks." Kenshin's voice somehow managed to sound aggrieved and petrified at the same time. Hiko made Kenshin look him in the eye.

"Kenshin, there is no time limit on how long it is acceptable for you to have nightmares. They will stop in time."

"But I want them to stop now!" Hiko sighed.

"I'd like to get a complete night's sleep as much as you do, Kenshin. But they will only stop when they're ready to."

"When will they stop?" Hiko shook his head.

"I don't know, deshi." He met the saddened violet eyes that were upturned to him and huffed. "Talking helps, sometimes, to get rid of the nightmares." He watched Kenshin closely, as the boy flushed and hid his head in Hiko's yukata.

Kenshin had been very reticent about speaking of his life before Hiko had saved him from the bandits. Hiko hadn't pressed him, figuring it had been traumatic and dragging the memories out couldn't be a good idea. But those memories were still tormenting the boy. They had to talk about it.

"Deshi!" He snapped in the voice he used when Kenshin made a mistake in a well-practiced move. Kenshin's head snapped up, eyes wide in his pale face. Hiko glowered at the boy. "You need to talk about it, deshi. If you don't these nightmares aren't ever going to stop." Probably an exaggeration, but then, if it got the boy talking…

Violet eyes darted everywhere, focusing on everything but Hiko's face. It amused the Mitsurugi master somewhat, but the circumstances precluded more than a tight smile. Hiko caught Kenshin's chin and made him look his shishou in the face.

"You don't have to talk about it tonight, Kenshin; but we will be having this discussion sometime soon." He said firmly. The panic in Kenshin's gaze retreated somewhat, his ki reflecting resignation. "Now," Hiko said decisively, standing with Kenshin still in his arms, "it's time you went to sleep."

Hiko marched over to his own futon, kicked it open and the covers down and settled into a seated position with his back against the wall. He let Kenshin slid down so he could nestle in the covers against his master's side. Violet eyes blinked up at him, and Hiko glowered down at the little boy.

"If you so much as whimper, I'm kicking you back to your own futon for the night, deshi, understand?"

Kenshin smiled a little, and nodded his head with a quiet, "Yes, shishou." He burrowed into Hiko's side, dragging some of the covers over him and settling into sleep.

Hiko never moved as Kenshin fell asleep, fearing to wake the boy back up. They both needed to sleep. He glanced down to the unruly head of hair resting peacefully on his side, and a small smile crept over his face.

"Sleep well, little one." He whispered, smoothing a hand over Kenshin's hair.

A/N: I uploaded this the wrong way the first time, and put up the unedited version, sorry for any confusion, guys. Go review, please!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Kenshin runs into an unexpected opportunity to help another while running an errand for his shishou.

--

The First Defense

--

"Why am I the one who always has to buy the sake? I don't even get to drink any of it!"

It was a sunny day, with very few clouds in evidence in the piercingly blue sky. There was a light breeze, and birds chirped contentedly in the branches overhead. There had been a rain shower recently, and the ground was pleasantly springy underfoot. It still held the remnants of the fresh scent a gentle rain leaves.

It was the sort of day where anyone would gladly leave aside official duties and simply take joy in the day. It was the sort of day children loved because it was so conducive to playing outside games. It was the sort of day that adults loved because it kept the children happy and stopped their whining that they were bored and had nothing to do.

In other words, it was the perfect day for Hiko Seijuro the XIII to send his baka deshi on the long trek to the village at the base of the mountain they lived and trained on, simply to get some more sake. Because, of course, Kenshin needed the exercise more than Hiko did, and there was nothing better for that than lugging sake jugs up the path to the cabin.

Said baka deshi was currently almost all the way to the village, and was stomping angrily along the path. He had been complaining to himself nearly the entire way, only making sure he was out of earshot of his shishou before he started.

"I mean, he's still got a whole two jugs of the stuff! And he doesn't drink it that quickly! He could have waited a day or two!"

His small frame was nearly quivering with annoyance and anger. His red hair was fighting to get out of the top-knot Kenshin kept it in, almost as if it agreed and was just as angry as he was. His eyes were snapping, darkening from their usual violet to a startling deep blue in his anger.

So absorbed was he in his rant against his shishou, Kenshin didn't notice the rock lying directly in his path until it was too late. He stepped on it at exactly the wrong angle to keep his balance and went sprawling in the dirt.

The only sound for a few moments was the chirping of the birds. They were blissfully unaware of the plight of the red haired young boy passing underneath their trees.

"Next time we spar," came the dark mutter from the ground, "I am going to pound his head in." Kenshin lifted his head and spat some dirt out of his mouth. "All this for a few stupid jugs of sake."

Groaning he levered himself to his feet, checking to make sure his fall hadn't damaged the katana he wore at his side. There was no mark on it, and it didn't look like his fall had even jarred it loose from its sheath. Though judging from the throbbing in his side, the hilt had managed to give him another bruise to add to his collection.

"You could have just gone to the village and become another farmer, but no…" Kenshin muttered to himself. "He gave you the choice: Learn to be a warrior, accept the truth of satsujin-ken, or go to the village and return to the way of life you were born to." He started along the path again, brushing away the dirt now marring his clothing with more frustrated resignation than anger. "I had to be strong. I had to learn to protect others."

He glowered up at a bird in one of the trees alongside the path. It blinked back at him, uncaring of the ire the strange human was projecting towards it.

"I am an idiot."

The proclamation was made without fanfare and with absolute certainty. The ire died away slowly, leaving weary resignation in its place. The bird cocked its head, seeming almost curious.

"I have to be insane. I could have been a farmer again. I'm good at growing things."

His voice was now almost conversational as he started walking again. The bird took flight and followed him, as if wanting to hear the rest of what Kenshin had to say.

"Even shishou admits that. We don't have to come to the village for our food cause I can grow the herbs and vegetables we need and we hunt for meat. We only come to get food from here when we want some fresh fruit."

The bird trilled, soaring above Kenshin and the redhead smiled a bit.

"I guess it could be worse, right? He could have made me finish that set of strokes before I left."

Kenshin shuddered. "But he'll probably add it on for tomorrow's training."

The student of the Hiten blade walked the next bit of path in a slightly better mood than he had started out on, and without the muttering. He simply enjoyed the day and the feel of the sun on his face.

It was because he was no longer muttering that he heard the choked sob coming from his right.

Kenshin stopped dead in the road. For a moment, the sound reminded him of the sounds of grief from his village, as yet another father, or mother, or sister, or brother died of the cholera. For a moment, he was seven once again, staring in bleak horror as he stood with his mother and eldest brother, as his father carried the unmoving form of his second oldest son from the hut they had lived in since Shinta was born.

Kenshin shook himself violently. _You're not seven anymore! It's been five years, baka! It's a similar sound, that's all. _He focused on his breathing for several moments. It had always helped to calm him, focusing on the steady in and out of the breath that kept him alive. It was a trick Shishou had taught him, to help him conquer the nightmares he'd had after Shishou had taken him in.

Opening his eyes, Kenshin focused on the sound, ruthlessly squashing the memory of hearing that same chocked sob from his mother.

_To the right, and a bit ahead of me,_ he decided after a moment. He slipped into the trees off the path, concealing himself in the forest with near perfect ease. Kenshin spotted the source of the sound without much trouble. It was one of the little girls from the village.

_That's Ayako, isn't it?_ He wondered as he crept forward. _What is she doing out here crying?_

Granted it wasn't that far from the village, but Ayako was only five years old. She shouldn't have been able to avoid her elder brother for long enough to get out here by herself.

_Though she is creative when she wants to be. She probably wanted to go exploring and got lost and scared. I'll just calm her down and take her back to the village._

Kenshin stepped out into Ayako's peripheral vision, making sure to step on a stick and break it to let her know he was there. She gasped and spun around, nearly sobbing with relief when she saw who it was that had found her.

"Ken-ni!" She squealed and threw herself at him. Kenshin wobbled a bit as nearly forty pounds of little girl barreled into his chest, but stayed on his feet. "I'm scared!"

"You're okay, Ayako-chan. It's fine. I'll get you back home." He shushed the little girl with a gentle voice. "Did you get lost?" he asked quietly. He sank onto the ground, letting Ayako curl into his lap.

"N-no, I didn't, Ken-ni." She choked out but then she clammed up and buried her face in his gi. Kenshin blinked down at her brown hair in confusion. She hadn't gotten lost?

"Then why are you out here by yourself, Ayako-chan?" A sniffle and a mumble answered him. Kenshin furrowed his brow and suppressed a huff.

"Ayako-chan, I can't hear you when you talk to my gi." He told her in a sing-song voice, the one he knew often set her to giggling.

She didn't giggle this time, just clutched him tighter and lifted her face enough to speak clearly.

"I was hiding."

"From who, Ayako-chan?" He asked, confused. He couldn't see her ever serious older brother playing a hiding game with her and none of the other children her age would have been bold enough to hide in the forest, let alone go look there.

"Hideki an-and his friends." She murmured, clinging closer to his gi once again.

Kenshin glowered at the surrounding trees at the mention of Hideki and his band of friends. They were bullies, one and all, and had no compunctions about who they picked on. They made Kenshin mad, especially when the decided to terrify the younger children, like Ayako.

"I won't let them bother you anymore, Ayako-chan. I promise." He told her firmly. She remained unconvinced and whimpered every time he suggested they get her back to her home. She was convinced Hideki would find her the moment Kenshin left.

How long he sat there, trying to reason with Ayako, Kenshin didn't know. He did know that he was going to be late back to the cabin with the sake and that he'd have to do some fast talking to avoid extra chores as punishment. The thought of telling his shishou about why he was really late didn't occur to him. If he told Shishou that Ayako was being bothered by some of the older boys in the village, he would simply tell him to alert the appropriate parents and go on his way.

_Or he'd fix the problem himself, _Kenshin knew. And while that would solve the issue and technically fulfill his promise to Ayako, Kenshin wanted to be the one to stop this from happening again. _What is the use of learning the Hiten blade if I can't even stop a little girl from getting picked on by some older boys?_

--

Hiko sighed as he looked up to check the sun's position in the sky. It had been quite long enough for Kenshin to have gone to the village and gotten back by now, even allowing for any side-trips the boy may have taken. He snorted a bit.

_At the rate he was going when he left, he ought to have made the village in half the time it usually takes him. So why is he late?_

Hiko sighed once again and stood. Likely the baka had gotten distracted by one of the other boys in the village. He'd struck up a friendship of sorts with one of the boys his age. They both had the absurd notion that poking around in the dirt for hours on end to make little green things grow was actually _fun _instead of just necessary in order to make food.

_He probably got sidetracked by that kid, whatever his name is, and forgot all about the sake I told him to get._

Hiko growled under his breath and started walking. He'd better fetch the boy before it got too late and there wasn't a point in making him do a couple hundred extra practice swings as a punishment for being late.

--

As he looked around the village, Hiko didn't bother hiding his scowl. His baka deshi was nowhere to be seen and the man who sold the sake hadn't even seen him since the last time the boy had been into the town with Hiko.

Hiko knew Kenshin hadn't run off. The boy was too determined to be strong and learn how to protect others to run out on his chance to do that. And besides, Kenshin wouldn't have just taken off without a word; it wasn't in his character to do so. So where had he gone?

"Ayako-chan? Ayako-chan, where are you?"

Hiko noticed the woman calling for her child only because she ran right in front of him and caused him to halt abruptly to avoid running her over. She started as she noticed him – how she hadn't before was an open question as Hiko wasn't exactly a small man – and hurriedly bowed in apology.

"I'm sorry, Hiko-sama! I did not mean to bother you in such a way! Please forgive me."

Hiko pushed his annoyance with his deshi away for long enough to assure the woman that he wasn't offended. Pure curiosity made him ask, "Who are you looking for?"

A frazzled look. "My daughter. She was playing at the edge of the village a few hours ago and her elder brother was supposed to be watching her. But Ayako got away from him. We don't know where she is!"

_I'm already looking for one missing child, why not two? _Hiko wondered whimsically. And when he found the boy, he'd make him search too.

"Would she have wandered into the forest?"

"Oh, Ayako's usually very good about not going into the forest without one of us with her. But if she was trying to get away from Noako, she might have. Oh dear…"

"I'll go look for her." Hiko informed the woman.

"Oh, Hiko-sama, that's really not necessary. We can look for her on our own…"

"I have to find my baka deshi, anyways, since it seems he forgot the errand I sent him on. I'll make him look with me when I find him. You continue searching the village. If Ayako's in the forest I'll find her and bring her back to you."

Waving off her thanks, Hiko strode into the forest and cast his ki-sense out to find that of his deshi or that of a little girl child who had wandered to where she shouldn't be.

--

He felt the ki long before he spotted his baka deshi. It flared bright with anger and determination. Hiko concentrated, determining the direction his errant student was in and blinked in astonishment when his senses caught several other kis along with his deshi's.

There were three or four others. Most shone with malicious intent and Hiko sighed, wondering what he was going to have to pull Kenshin out of this time. But one of the strange kis was different. It felt younger somehow, and was clearly frightened.

Hiko suddenly felt he had a pretty good idea of what was happening, and he wasn't sure whether to be proud or not. He decided to reserve judgment until he arrived at the scene.

--

"Well, look who we have here. If it isn't the little wanna-be swordsman."

Kenshin had sensed the other boys coming long enough before he saw them to have already stood and pushed Ayako behind him. He stood protectively in front of the little girl, who clung to his hakama with white-knuckled fingers. Kenshin kept his voice level with an effort.

"You shouldn't be picking on people half your size, Hideki."

The other boy sneered at him, dark eyes clearly not impressed. "You don't have anything to say about it, you little runt."

Kenshin's cheeks flushed slightly at being called a runt, but he held his temper.

"I will not let you pick on Ayako anymore." One of the other boys laughed loudly at him. Kenshin glowered at him. The other boy's laughter stuttered to a stop at the unexpected intensity of the glare he received from Kenshin.

"Ayako is a child. She doesn't deserve to get bullied like this by you. Or anyone."

Hideki sneered in disgust at his companion, who was eyeing Kenshin warily. "Oh, quit quivering. He glares at you and you suddenly forget you're a foot taller than he is? Pathetic!"

"He does have a katana, Hideki, maybe we should…" One of the other boys started. Hideki turned his sneer on his other friend.

"There are three of us, and one of him, you idiot. We're taller, older, and-"

Hideki's friend – whatever his name was, Kenshin really didn't care right now – had given him an idea. While Hideki was ranting at his friends, Kenshin bent a bit and pried Ayako's fingers loose of his hakama.

"I need you to move back to that tree behind us when I tell you to, okay, Ayako-chan?" He whispered. The little girl whimpered, but nodded and inched backwards a bit. By the time Hideki had finished berating his friends for being afraid of glares and katanas, Kenshin had taken up his position.

Hideki blinked, as he saw Kenshin standing, katana loosened in its sheath, and with a narrowed-eyed glare reminiscent of his shishou on his face.

"Either you leave her alone, or I will make you back off."

Hideki sneered at him.

"You'd attack someone that's not armed? How's that match up with your precious sword style?"

Kenshin sneered right back. "I'm protecting Ayako. If you do not leave her alone from now on, I _will _attack you."

Hideki hesitated for a moment, thrown off-balance by the unexpected resolve in Kenshin's expression. The other two boys were backing away slowly.

"I'm not getting involved in this one, Hideki."

"Runt or not, he's got a _katana, _man. I don't want any part of that."

Hideki turned, eyes furious as his two 'friends' turned tail and ran from the scene. Hideki turned back to Kenshin with a furious glare on his face. Kenshin considered the other boy and then nodded, the glare dropping off his face.

"Ayako, you need to move back to that tree, now, okay?"

"'Kay, Ken-ni." Ayako moved back to the tree and placed her back firmly to it, as if afraid something might get between her and the safety of the solid trunk at her back.

Kenshin glanced back to make sure she was safely out of the way, and then turned back towards Hideki. His left foot slid back and he bent his knees slightly, right hand hovering by the hilt of his katana.

Hideki backed up a step. He was unable to name the stance Kenshin had assumed, but the threat that it exuded was unmistakable.

"Now, wait a minute-" he started. Kenshin's face was impassive as he stared down the other boy.

"It's your choice, Hideki," he said softly, firmly. "Either you leave her alone, or I make you leave her alone. Choose."

Hideki took only a moment to think about it, before he chose to follow the wise example of his friends, and turned and ran from the scene.

Kenshin sighed as he relaxed his stance, and grinned with success. _This _was why he wanted to learn the Hiten blade. He turned back to Ayako and held out his hand.

"How about I get you home now, Ayako-chan? Hideki won't bother you again." Ayako grinned up at him and bounced to his side.

"You were great, Ken-ni!" She enthused, grabbing his hand and practically dragging him in the direction of the village. She babbled the entire way and Kenshin happily let her lead the way to the village.

--

Hiko smiled as he watched his young apprentice being dragged toward the village by the little Ayako.

_What do you know, he's actually absorbed some of my lessons._

Hiko could still feel the sudden cunning in Kenshin's ki, accompanied by the spark of mischief that was much more common in Hiko's experiences with the red-headed boy.

_He wouldn't have attacked, but that idiot didn't know that. _Hiko chuckled as he started back towards his cabin. He wouldn't let Kenshin know that he had seen what he had done. He'd let him take Ayako back to her mother and pretend he hadn't seen Kenshin face off with the other boys and bluff them into leaving the little girl alone.

_Maybe this will encourage him to stop complaining about me making him come up with alternate solutions to fighting in various situations._

_--_

A/N2: Fist of all, Merry Christmas everyone. Second, I've been having problems getting the next chapter of Fortunate Relapse out, so I took a break and wrote another oneshot for this collection. It came out a lot easier than I thought it would. The ending isn't quite what I wanted it to be, but I thought it'd be nice to get some sort of update out there for you guys before the year ended. I'm probably going to come back and rework that last bit with Hiko.

Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome!


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